Wakefield/Ginsburg family

by adminuser on August 6, 2010

We four in the Wakefield/Ginsburg family here in London feel a great sadness at Annette’s passing, but a great privilege and joy to have known her. She was – with Ephraim of course – a great friend to Michael and Marge Ginsburg, Norman’s parents, and we were delighted to maintain that friendship after Michael died and Marge moved back to Santa Monica. Cross-generational friendship is not always easy, but with Annette it was the easiest thing in the world.

We enjoyed Annette and Ephraim’s holidays here in London immensely – some good food and theatre, great music and brilliant company! We went to Glyndebourne to see Peter Sellars’ production of Theadora and St John’s Church in Smith Square to hear Handel. We ate Lebanese, Indian and Korean food. On her last trip here, our youngest son Myer and I took Annette to my favourite jeweller – Wright and Teague – where she fell in love with a beautiful pair of silver ear-rings and – of course – bought them! On an earlier trip, we had fun meeting up in Greenwich with Naomi and Ariel too. Each trip holds special memories for us.

Meeting up in Santa Monica was also fun. Hospitality in Annette and Ephraim’s beautiful home for all of us and – for me in particular – ‘doing damage’ laced with Japanese food in LA! I thought I knew how to inflict ‘damage’ on a clothes shop until I met Annette!

That great sense of fun which meant so much was, of course, mingled with serious attention to relationships. It was Annette who helped me see my way through some of the more stringent tests of adolescence in the household and challenged me to see the person beneath the testing behaviour. In fact, one discussion still sticks in my mind and helped me through a difficult time, when many other bits of advice slipped away.

Norman and I had hoped to visit Annette and Ephraim in Santa Monica this year. Sadly we were unable to make it before Annette died. However, she has left us much the better for having known her, and with the ongoing gift of friendship with Ephraim and Naomi, which we hope will continue. Annette – thank you. We loved you.